Making Your Money Matter –Part 4 of 4

This is part four of a four-part series on aligning your personal finances with your values. Find parts one, two, and three here.

The final step in aligning your personal finances with your life values? Follow through, and follow up.

Follow through. Last week you set some very specific goals. Make them happen. Then set more goals. As much as I wish it were, it’s not enough to write down your goals unless you take the action to complete them. And hopefully, once you see small successes, you’ll be inspired to set bigger and bigger goals until you’re where you want to be.

Then, follow up. I recommend setting a time on your calendar to work through these steps again, at least twice per year. (If you want to do it more often—like quarterly—great!) The reason I say twice per year is because (1) spending habits can change, often dramatically, with the seasons, and (2) this should give you enough time to complete the goals you set with yourself at your last check-in. Many people find it easier to stick to their goals if they have an accountability partner. If you are one of these people, put out a call with your friends and family to see if anyone else wants to go through this process with you!

Finally, don’t be afraid to call in a professional. At some point, your goals might include things like “ensure I’m saving enough for retirement”, “purchase life insurance”, “figure out how much money I need to open my own cupcake shop”, or “stop renting and buy a home.” You don’t have to do this work all on your own—there are people out there who get paid to do this for you. (And now that you have your spending under control, you should have plenty of money to pay for it!) Call a banker, a Certified Financial Planner, or a CPA. They can help you figure these things out and free up your time for the things you really want to be doing.

What topics in the personal finance realm would you like me to delve into a little bit further? Leave your thoughts in the comments, and thanks for taking this ride with me!